2018 Berea College Research Symposium

The 18th annual Berea Undergraduate Research Symposium (BURS), held this fall the same weekend as the Berea College
Trustees visit campus and this year it coincides with the official opening of the new Cargill Science Building on Saturday, 10/20.
This has been organized by the science programs in the past but
participation is open to all members of the college community. In recent years we have structured the
symposium with both talks and poster presentations as well as a plenary session.
The program for Fall 2018 will be held on Friday, October 19th and Saturday, October 20th.
The 2018 BURS will begin with an opening plenary talk by
Jacqulyn Noronha-Hostler
on "The Quest for Nature’s First and Most Perfect Liquid" in the Yahng Center (MAC 455).
After a short break, we will have student oral presentations starting at 2PM (MAC 356, 357, 551, 506)
and a plenary talk entitled "Breathing the Earth" at 4PM by
Elizabeth Cottrell of the Smithsonian Institution
. BURS will continue with student poster presentations and other departmental activities the
following morning (Saturday) and the official
opening ceremony for the new Cargill Science Building at 2:00 pm and followed by a convocation delivered by
Dr. Mae Jemison, first African American woman to travel to space on the Shuttle Endeavor
at 3:00 pm.

Cottrell Plenary Title: Breathing the Earth

Abstract -
When you hear the word “volcano,” what comes to your mind? Volcanoes are windows to Earth’s deep interior, revealing to us what lies beyond depths accessible to human exploration. Volcanoes shape the landscape, the hydrosphere, and human civilization. From natural disasters to climate change and from diamonds to Dr. Evil, we will explore volcano mysteries together.

On Friday (10/19) we will start at 2:00 PM with oral presentation sessions (15 minutes each) in the Cargill Science building
planetarium room. Following the oral session we will have a plenary talk by Elizabeth Cottrell at 4:00 for 45 minutes
with 10 minutes after for questions. The next day (Saturday, 10/20) we will have building tours from 9AM - 1PM,
an additional oral session as well as a poster session in the morning at 9:30-11:00 am. There will also be planetarium
shows at 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm.
With posters from various fields (previous posters from chemistry, biology, physics, psychology, sociology, education, African
American Studies, economics, industrial arts, computer science,
physical education & health, and mathematics). All students who pursued substantial research projects over the previous
year are encouraged to present their research. All participants are expected to be at oral sessions on Friday (less than 3 hours)
as well as poster/oral sessions on Saturday (another couple hours). We do not require you attend the convocation, but certainly
would recommend this opportunity.
We have been hosting the BURS since 2001 and have records of participants going back to 2007 online (see links to the left).
Printable program for 2018 symposiumStudents and faculty interested in attending or participating in the 2018 BURS should either contact Jay Baltisberger or Anes Kovacevic of the chemistry program. Alternatively a student may elect to register online via the link on the Chemistry department web server.

Avidin functionalized coverslips for model membrane imaging

Sergio Axel Perez CruzMentor: Dr. Tessa CalhounPerformed at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Interactions between drug and cell membranes are integral to antibiotic success. A more detailed understanding of these interactions can be obtained through the use of optical microscopy. This is done through the imaging of model systems, which mimic more complex biological systems. We have investigated two aspects of this model system’s preparation: the synthesis of model membranes, more specifically giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), and their immobilization for imaging. Immobilization was accomplished by utilizing the strong binding affinity between avidin and biotin. Coverslips were functionalized with avidin, a naturally occurring protein, while lipids containing the biotin head group were incorporated into the GUVs. Two methods for GUV preparation were attempted. These were formation through sonication and electro-swelling. The imaging results from these two methodologies indicated that electro-swelling shows increased yield and size control.

Registration for the 103rd Kentucky Academy of Sciences Meeting should follow this link
KAS Registration